


les pas de la danse

by hockeyhater



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, boys being soft, nhl combine 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-12 11:30:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11160978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hockeyhater/pseuds/hockeyhater
Summary: It’s a friday when Nico meets Nolan. It’s kind of awkward, because of the circumstances and the (slight) language barrier. They don’t talk much at first, just formalities like “Hey, nice to meet you,” and “Wow, these poses are fucking weird.”





	les pas de la danse

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to kes for beta'ing!

It’s a friday when Nico meets Nolan. It’s kind of awkward, because of the circumstances and the (slight) language barrier. They don’t talk much at first, just formalities like “Hey, nice to meet you,” and “Wow, these poses are fucking weird.” 

It gets easier to talk when the other prospects show up, mostly because it seems like Kailer has no off switch, and Glasser is always ready to hear his shitty jokes.

“The two top prospects walk into a restaurant-”

“It’s supposed to be a bar, yammer-“ 

“Shut up, Codes, anyway, they walk into a restaurant, and the host says, ‘Dining alone?’ because both of the top prospects are Nolan! get it? Because nobody knows what spot he’s getting drafted?” Kailer looks around the circle of players like he’s waiting for someone to laugh, and when no one does, he says, “Well, fuck you guys, too,” but he doesn’t seem so beat up about it.

“Really, Kale? that was. Probably the worst joke I’ve ever heard. like, no exaggeration.” Nico watches Nolan lean back on his hands as he talks, and something stirs inside him.

This stirring isn’t exactly new though. Nico had noticed it the day before, during the photoshoot, when he and Nolan had been really close during faceoffs. Like, face to face, noses almost touching, close.

Nico knows he’s gay, this isn’t some big, life-shattering realization. He just thought he was past the part in his life where a boy with nice hair and red cheeks could make him flustered. 

Maybe it would be easier to ignore his crush on Nolan if Nolan wasn’t so good at hockey, and wasn’t also super funny, and nice and…

Yeah, Nico’s got it bad. 

“Hey, Hischie, zonin’ out there a bit?” Nico looks over and Nolan is standing up, brushing his pants off. “I’m about to head up, you wanna join me?” 

“Um- uh- yeah. Yeah, let’s go.” Nico pulls himself up and follows Nolan into the hallway towards the elevator. 

Nolan raises his hand in a small salute to the other guys, and they head up.

Nico hears Kailer as they leave, yelling, “The top two, they think they’re too good for us!” 

In the duration of the elevator ride, Nolan decides that they’re going to watch a movie. 

“I have Netflix, so we can watch pretty much anything. What’s your preference, horror? Comedy? Romance? Or we can watch a romcom.”

Nico nods his head. “Sure, you can pick. I don’t mind what we watch, really.”

“Princess bride it is, then!” Nolan starts feeling around in his bag. “Oh, it’s on my laptop, though, so we’re gonna have to cuddle.” He smiles, as he says that, and Nico can tell that it’s a cheeky joke smile, which kind of hurts, but. whatever. He’ll move on.

Nico mumbles, “Sure, that’s cool,” and settles in next to Nolan on his bed. Nolan shifts closer next to Nico, so they’re pressed up next to each other, and lays a pillow across their laps to put the computer on. 

And, because the world hates Nico, Nolan ends up falling asleep on Nico’s shoulder. Of course. 

(It happens right as the movie gets good, which is a shame, because Nico can’t focus on it at all, with what’s going on.)

Nico ends up pausing the movie and setting the laptop aside. Not wanting to bother Nolan, he tries to maneuver himself into a comfortable position, and falls asleep surprisingly fast, laying his head on top of Nolan’s.

***

Nolan wakes up before Nico does, but not too much earlier, because Nolan immediately starts cracking his neck and moving around, noticing that he’s now curled up in Nico’s lap. 

“Hey, Nico. your flight isn’t until noon, right?” 

Nico nods. “yeah, 12:30.”

“Well, it’s 10, now, so we should probably pack up and head out.” Nolan looks at Nico, and his facial expression is really soft, and thoughtful. “This weekend was really nice. I had fun with you.”

Nico meets his eyes, and they sit there and smile for a second, before he says, “Yeah. this was really nice. I’m gonna miss you until the combine.”

“Me too.” Nolan lets out a heavy sigh. “Okay, we should probably get up.”

***

It’s five months before Nico sees Nolan again, but it hasn’t been five months since they talked last. More like 2 minutes, because Nolan had had the idea to exchange phone numbers back in January. 

And, as it turns out, Nico is suddenly addicted to his phone. 

(And, if anyone asks, no, it doesn’t have anything to do with his giant fucking crush. No way.)

So, since they haven’t lost contact for maybe a day at time, Nico knows exactly when Nolan is going to show up, and he knows that Nolan is dying to see him (his words, not Nico’s), and that Nolan already requested that they room together.

 _clingy_ , Nico texts when Nolan tells him.

 _fuck u_ , Nolan says, but he knows Nolan is smiling as he sends it.

***

“Hischie!” 

Nico has just enough time to brace himself before Nolan is jumping on him into a hug. 

“Hey, Patts.” Nico knows he’s smiling really big, but he can’t bring himself to care, because it’s been five long months without seeing him in person.

“Come on, we should go up to our room, lots of interviews today.” Nico grabs his bags from the floor where he had dropped them and starts heading to the elevator.

“Patts, you’re so slow! Can’t keep up? Where’s that number one draft pick speed?” Nico is smiling as he says it, even though he knows that Nolan can’t see him.

“Fuck you, buddy,” Nolan giggles, and he rests his head on Nico’s shoulder.

And there’s that feeling again, deep in Nico’s stomach. It had been gone since January, since the last time they saw each other face to face. Nico had tried to ignore it, and it had been working really well, but with Nolan right in front of him, laughing in his ear and pressing his head into Nico’s, it’s too hard to act like he doesn’t have a big, obnoxious crush on Nolan.

Nico’s just thinking about how you could probably spot his blush from space, when the elevator opens, and Kailer Yamamoto proves him right. 

“Hey, dude! What’s got you red like that?” Kailer smiles, then looks between Nico and Nolan. When Nico doesn’t answer, just blushes more, Kailer’s eyes get almost comically wide. “Oh. Oh, man, fucking- wow.” 

And it’s a damn good thing that Nolan is the most oblivious person in the hockey playing world, because he doesn’t notice the reason for the exchange that just happened. He doesn’t notice that it took .3 seconds of seeing Nico and Nolan interact before realizing how dead in love Nico is. The hockey gods are looking down on Nico, today, they really are.

Nico has a lot he wants to say here, but he just goes for, “Uh. yeah,” and tries for a small laugh, but it comes out as more of a sigh. Kailer, bless him, gets the hint and says nothing more, before backing up and out of the elevator.

“I should leave you two alone, to catch up.” Kailer turns around and heads back to his room, his original destination forgotten.

The elevator door closes and Nolan speaks again. “What was all that about? Kailer is acting weird today.”

“Well,” Nico laughs some, “You know Kailer.” Nico shifts his bags a little bit, and Nolan moves off of his shoulder. Nico doesn’t have time to miss the weight on his shoulder, though, because there’s a ding, and they’ve reached the third floor. “Race you!”

Nolan yells behind him as Nico takes off down the hallway, sprinting to their room. They’re both laughing when they finally reach the room, and Nico realizes just how happy Nolan makes him. God, he’s such a sap.

Nolan reaches ahead and shoves their key into the slot. “I call-“

“Left bed, I know.” Nico smirks. “You only told me about a thousand times before this weekend.” Nico’s still smiling when they walk in, and Nolan flops backwards onto his bed.

Nico thinks that it can’t be fair how good Nolan looks after just falling backwards onto a bed. He looks away before he finds himself doing something seriously stupid, like, tackling Nolan and kissing him. That stupid.

“Wanna watch a movie? We never did finish the princess bride.” Nolan winks at Nico.

“Haha, very funny, but we have to get ready for interviews,” Nico mumbles, digging through his bag. “I’m gonna go shower, I hope you can occupy yourself without me for a few minutes.”

“Oh, no, what ever shall i do with my only friend gone? i guess i’ll just die of boredom out here, all alone…” Nolan finishes his soliloquy by collapsing back and pretending to faint on the bed.

Nico decides to be daring, and blows him a kiss, before saying, "I’ll miss you, Emmy winner Nolan Patrick,” and closing the bathroom door behind himself.

***

When he walks back out, freshly showered and in his NHL Scouting polo, Nolan is half asleep on his bed with an episode of some reality show playing on the TV. “All yours, man.”

And Nolan has to know what’s been going through Nico’s mind for the past however many months, because he says, “Thanks, bro,” then jumps up real quick, and, get this, he slaps Nico on the butt.

Nico’s glad he has the ability to keep a straight face, at least for a second, but as soon as Nolan walks into the bathroom and shuts (read: slams) the door, Nico practically deflates onto his bed near the window.

He stays on his bed for what feels like a lifetime, trying to come up with literally any idea for what to do about his nolan issue. He knows, rationally, that Nolan either likes him back, or won’t care if he doesn’t, but the threat of Nolan suddenly being disgusted by him or hating him holds him back from really wanting to do something about his situation. 

Nolan finds him in probably the most dramatic pose ever, on has back with his arm draped over his forehead, like a damsel in distress, a comparison that kind of makes sense to Nico’s life right now.

“Oh, we should totally take a selfie. In these awful shirts.” It takes a second for Nolan to find his phone, but when he does, snapchat is open lightning fast. “C’mon, smile!” 

Nico’s sure his smile is the most awkward thing in the world, but the picture actually turns out pretty damn cute, and Nico tells him that.

“Send it to me, I love it.”

“Dude, are you gonna make us your phone background? that’s totally adorable.”

“Well, I was, but you’re being a dick, so fuck you.”

Nolan giggles, then gets up and holds his hand out for Nico to get up too. “We gotta go downstairs, it’s interview time!”

“Patts, there’s like, nothing you could say to get me want to go less.” Nico rolls his eyes, but takes Nolan’s hand anyway and lets himself get hauled up and out the door.

***

the day is filled with a few routine interviews, mostly just, how’s it been going, are you ready for the draft, et cetera. 

and, of course, the questions about nolan.

nico answers in what he hopes is a chill voice, and says what he hopes is a chill answer. he finds himself wondering if nolan is getting asked those same questions, and what he’s saying if he is.

***

“You know,” Nolan says later, when they’re back in the hotel room, “They asked me about you today.”

“Yeah, I expected. They asked me about you, too.”

“Really? What did you say?”

“I told them that I’ll be happy for you no matter where you go, and that we’re super close.”

“Did you mention to them how in love with me you are?” Nico can hear the smile in Nolan’s voice, and suddenly, he’s just so tired of Nolan not knowing.

“Nah, that’s just between me and you. We don’t have to share that with anyone else.” Nico sits up from his bed and looks over into Nolan’s eyes. “I hope you know I’m being very serious right now. I’m super into you,”

“Nico, I feel like this is a good time to mention that I’ve kind of been in love with you for months.”

Nico feels himself freeze in his spot. “No shit?” 

Nolan lets out a loud laugh. “Yeah, no shit, dude.”

“I’m gonna come over and kiss you, now,” Nico rushes out, and all but runs over to Nolan. “If that’s okay, of course.”

Nico doesn’t think he’s ever seen Nolan smile this big. “Yeah, you asshole, of course that’s okay.” Nolan grabs onto Nico’s shirt collar and drags him down.

Their lips touch, and it’s kind of an uncomfortable kiss, not because Nolan is a bad kisser, but because it’s hard to smile and kiss at the same time. After a minute, they get the hang of it, though, and it turns into one of the best kisses that Nico has ever had the pleasure to be a part of.

Nolan pulls back first, but the way he looks at Nico makes Nico feel like he’s still being kissed.

“Dude. Wow.” Nico’s gotta sound totally out of it, but he can’t bring himself to care right now.

Nolan stops for a second, then starts laughing. “I kiss you within an inch of your life, and the first thing you do is call me dude?”

“‘Within an inch of my life’? Don’t flatter yourself, loser,” Nico says, but he’s smiling with his whole face as he does.

Nolan wraps his arms around Nico’s shoulder and pulls him down for a hug. “Shut up, you nerd.” Nico hears Nolan let out a loud sigh. “God, I love you.”

Nico mumbles into Nolan’s shoulder, “I love you, too.”

They’re quiet for a second. “You know, the Devils and the Flyers aren’t far away. We can make this work.”

Nico thinks for a second before he says, “Yeah. we can,” and holds Nolan even tighter.

**Author's Note:**

> the title comes from a song of the same title, by alex nevsky. hit me up on tumblr at penguinbois.tumblr.com and on twitter at @penguinbois.


End file.
